Toy kite

ABSTRACT

A toy kite in the form of a parachute having a suspended object, and provided with a pulling cable for holding the kite against the wind, thus lifting the toy as an ordinary kite, whilst by releasing the pulling action on the cable, the toy descends gently with the suspended object, as an ordinary parachute.

United States Patent 1 13,5s2,026

72 Invento R b n i 2,648,508 8/1953 Bel] 244/153 l9ViaPrincipessaClotilde,Turin,ltaly 2 304 27 3 5 Hutsonu 244 53 [2|] Appl.No. 835,665 2,820,603 1/1958 Lee 2 1221 Filed June23, 1969 2,836,927 6 1958 Warner 244/142x [45] Paten J 1,1971 3,034,751 5/1962 Droullard 244/1 32] Priority A r-23. 1969 3,298,639 1/1967 Heinrichetal. 244/155 3? 3 5/69 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 745,922 2 1933 France 244/155 847,000 9/1960 GreatBritain 244/153 [54] TOY KITE 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 244/155, 46/86 [51] Int. Cl B64c 31/06 [50] Field of Search 244/155, 153,154,142,145,l5l;46/86 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,321,904 6/1943 Frazier 46/86 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Sauberer Attorney-Young & Thompson ABSTRACT: A toy kite in the form of a parachute having a suspended object, and provided with a pulling cable for holding the kite against the wind, thus lifting the toy as an ordinary kite, whilst by releasing the pulling action on the cable, the toy descends gently with the suspended object, as an ordinary parachute.

PATENTEDJUN 1 |97| 3; 5 2,02

INVENTOR 190135210 G/ourra BY W *W ATTORNEYS TOY KITE The present invention relates to toy kites and toy parachutes, and its object is an article with a shape derived from that of a parachute, yet being such as to ensure the vertical lift of the article, similarly to a kite, using the relative speed between the article itself and the medium, i.e., an effective wind acting on the toy's canopy or, in a reciprocal fashion, a horizontal speed of movement of the said canopy.

The object of the invention is carried out by providing the suspended object, which may be a puppet in the form of a parachutist 'or another object of any desired shape, with a pulling or holding cable connected in such a manner that, by action of the relative wind, the canopy of the parachute takes an inclined position, thus determining an incidence with respect to said relative wind, wherefrom a vertical force rises which lifts the whole in the manner of a kite.

When the kite-attains the desired height, it can be further handled as an ordinary kite, or the cable is abandoned, or disconnected, under control or automatically, whereafter the object, no more pulled by the cable, comes down as an ordinary parachute.

Additionally, the suspended object, be it in the form of a puppet or in any other form, is box shaped and thus light and floating, what enables its recovery in the case of the descent on a sheet of water; the box shape of the object allows the control of its weight by introducing in the same a ballast of water, sand or shot. In this case, of course, the object will be provided with a stopper allowing access to its interior.

The shape of the canopy, rather than circular, can be provided with lateral steering ailerons, as well as with stabilizing slots.

The invention is explained in detail in the following description, with reference to an embodiment thereof, shown in the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the developed kite-parachute;

FIG. 2 shows an example of a suspended object;

FIG. 3 shows the same object attached to the canopy which lifts as a kite, being held or pulled against the wind;

FIG. 4 shows the means of connecting the object to the suspension cables when there is a sufficiently strong relative wind;

FIG. 5 shows the connection of the suspended object to the suspension cables in the case of a fairly light relative wind.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 shows the development of a canopy, formed by a plastic sheet, partly circular and provided with a pair of lateral panels 2 which give the canopy a particular contour, and which, while they are operating, are arranged like lateral steering ailerons.

ln the area intended to be the rear one in the direction of translation ion the canopy 1 has slots 3 in which the wind catches, determining a suitable position for the canopy, preventing its rotation and the twisting of cables 4. These latter form four groups ending at the periphery of sheet 1 to which they are attached at one end at distances which are more or less uniform, but in any case symmetrical, the other ends of the cables being connected to four snap hooks 5 intended to Hook on to a suspended object in a manner to be explained.

The suspended object, in the example described, consists of an involucrum 6 whose cavity, accessible by means of removing a stopper 7, can serve to hold liquid, sand or shot 8, by

means of which the weight of the object is adjusted as necessary.

The object 6 is hooked on to cables 4 by means of an intermediate unit made up of two small longerons 9 which, at the front, come together in two strips 10, in connection with an eyelet 11 to which the tractional cable 12 is hooked.

Each longeron 9 has two pairs of eyelets, one pair of eyelets 13 at the end of the longerons 9 opposite to the eyelet 11 and the other pair 14 at the other end of the said longerons. The longerons are fixed at 15 on the shoulders of the toy man who, in the shown example, makes up the suspended object 6, the

fixture l5being made adjacent to the cou le of eyelets 13.

According to a first possibility, to be c osen when the traction of the cable 12 is carried out with high speed, or when the kite is old in a strong wind, the hooks 5 are attached a pair for each eyelet 13 (FIG. 4).

When the wind is light, or there is little traction, the four snaphooks 5 are attached one to each eyelet 13, M, (FIG. 5), which will determine a greater angle of incidence for canopy 1.

The intermediate unit 9 should preferably be made of a fairly flexible material, and in this case a rigid frame 16 can be provided between the eyelets 14.

The kite-parachute functions as follows:

The toy, assembled in the way just described, is placed against the wind, cable 12 being held, or else it is submitted to being pulled at a good speed after the fashion of an ordinary kite, when it will rise as long as it is encouraged to do so.

When it has reached the required height the traction on cable 12 can be discontinued by simply letting it so or by causing the eyelet 11 to be unhooked by remote control, time-control or any other known system, for example by a timeoperated slow match.

At this point the toy ceases to function as a kite, begins to function as a parachute and descends gently with the suspended object.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. A flying toy comprising a canopy substantially in the form of a parachute, suspension lines connected to said canopy, a suspended object, means for connecting said suspended object to said suspension lines, a tractional cable, and means for connecting said tractional cable to said suspended object and suspension lines in angular relationship thereof, said connecting means for the suspension lines, the suspended object and the tractional cable being in the form of a single unit, connected to the suspended object and having eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines and of the tractional cable.

2. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines are at least two pair, the first pair being positioned at the rearward end of the unit and the second pair being adjacent to the suspended object, whereby the toy can be adapted to the different intensities of the relative wind by choosing the connection eyelets used and thus the angle of incidence of the canopy.

3. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said unit comprises a pair of longerons connected to the suspended object and having eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines, and a forward portion connecting said longerons together and having an eyelet for the connection of the tractional cable.

4. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said unit is made of a flexible material. 

1. A flying toy comprising a canopy substantially in the form of a parachute, suspension lines connected to said canopy, a suspended object, means for connecting said suspended object to said suspension lines, a tractional cable, and means for connecting said tractional cable to said suspended object and suspension lines in angular relationship thereof, said connecting means for the suspension lines, the suspended object and the tractional cable being in the form of a single unit, connected to the suspended object and having eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines and of the tractional cable.
 2. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines are at least two pair, the first pair being positioned at the rearward end of the unit and the second pair being adjacent to the suspended object, whereby the toy can be adapted to the different intensities of the relative wind by choosing the connection eyelets used and thus the angle of incidence of the canopy.
 3. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said unit comprises a pair of longerons connected to the suspended object and having eyelets for the connection of the suspension lines, and a forward portion connecting said longerons together and having an eyelet for the connection of the tractional cable.
 4. A flying toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said unit is made of a flexible material. 